Heart Upon My Sleeve
by thewriter1713
Summary: "Captain, you seem… distracted lately." Not like he really needed Connor to tell him who was on his mind. He'd known from the moment Miss de Grandpré boarded the Aquila, the lad beaming with a suppressed joy as the young woman strolled onto the top deck at his side."You wear your heart upon your sleeve some days, captain. It's obvious you've feelings for her."


_Disclaimer: I don't own Assassin's Creed 3._

**A/N: Hey there! How's it going? Decided to try and put something new out. Humorous one-shot between Faulkner, Connor, and Aveline. I'm not exactly sure where this was suppose to go, but hey, it helped get the writer's juices flowing some so I can finish the other writings I've began. Some kind of feedback would be nice. Just let me know what you think.**

* * *

"Captain, you seem… distracted lately." Mr. Faulkner remarked, examining the skipper at the wheel steering the Aquila into open waters with a rare smile curling the corners of his lips upward. His behavior over the past couple of weeks could be characterized best as odd, his usual austere and stoic demeanor present but softened by an emotion Mr. Faulkner wasn't completely unfamiliar with.

"Hmmm? Oh. It is nothing, Mr. Faulkner. I am simply thinking." Thinking, was he? His first mate wasn't convinced.

"Ah….Care to divulge?" Not like he really needed Connor to tell him who was on his mind. He'd known from the moment Miss de Grandpré boarded the Aquila, the lad beaming with a suppressed joy as the young woman strolled onto the top deck at his side. A quick docking at the pier of New Orleans to restock on sustenance and supplies and he'd promised to return within the hour, mentioning briefly he was going to see an old friend, only to arrive late with the lass trailing behind him with a with a small chest perched atop her right shoulder.

He wasn't surprised by the captain's rather abrupt reply. "No." He merely smirked, unable to resist provoking the lad. For the sake of proving a point of course.

"Ah. So what do you think of our guest? She's very nice. Lovely woman." He watched him carefully as Connor cleared his throat awkwardly, a blush painting his cheeks a hue of pink Mr. Faulkner didn't think was possible.

A slight hesitation marked his retort and Connor still stumbled through the meager reply. "…Yes, s-she is."

"So you two are just friends?" He set the bait, now it was just a matter or whether the captain would take it.

Connor's eyes narrowed in warning as he fixed his stare on his first mate, his russet eyes glowing in defiance and annoyance. "Yes, and nothing more."

Ah, that's the reaction he was looking for.

Mr. Faulkner leaned in close, whispering in the boy's ear with a hint of mirth in his tone.

"That's a lie and the whole damned crew knows it." At his shocked expression, he elaborated further. "You wear your heart upon your sleeve some days, captain. It's obvious you've feelings for her."

Never had he seen the man smile before Miss Aveline boarded the Aquila. A smirk perhaps, cocky and arrogant in its nature, but never a genuine smile.

Connor looked as though he was about to protest, opening his mouth before promptly shutting it, sighing while mumbling under his breath.

"Is it that obvious?"

"Yes, lad. Some of the men were wondering if you two had been… intimate with each other." The captain was an innocent as far as he knew but he was never one to pry into a man's personal life unless he was concerned. Besides, he seemed far too busy to cater to a woman's needs, and the boy was no womanizer, as far as he could tell.

"…Oh."

Mr. Faulkner furrowed his brows in curiosity, posing the question that'd been on the crew's mind for days. "Well…have you?"

Eyes widened in disbelief at the query.

"Of course not!" The response was more frightened then upset.

"Why not, lad? She seems just as interested in you as you are her. Don't give me that look." He scowled, the conversation clearly making him uncomfortable.

Connor clenched his jaw in frustration, his grip on the wheel tightening while sharp eyes scanned the seas for any activity, and his nostrils flared violently as he exhaled loudly. "What is it exactly you propose I do?"

Faulkner merely shrugged his shoulders blithely, regarding the young man with knowing smirk. "Tell her how you feel. "

A slight pause and Faulkner assumed he was waiting for additional advice. When none came, Connor's gruff and irate reply interrupted the relative silence. "That is it?!"

The subject of their conversation suddenly appeared on the top deck, dressed simply in white blouse and navy blue trousers, brown leather boots replacing the black armor-plated ones. Her lengthy dark locks flowed freely in the gusts, liberated from the constraints of braids, the ends holding a curl despite the numerous strokes through her hair to tame the ringlets. She glimpsed over her shoulder, her auburn eyes meeting his chocolates ones in the distance, and she smiled warmly before she waved amicably to Mr. Faulkner. He glanced over at Connor, noting the little smile that curved the corners of his lips upward and how his eyes continued to follow her movements.

"Dear God, it's worse than I thought." The smirk transformed into a teasing grin at Connor's irritated countenance, his first mate unable to resist poking fun at the captain's expense. "Would you rather me do it for you then, captain?"

Connor sighed heavily, resigned to his fate. He was only delaying the inevitable and he certainly didn't wish for Faulkner to relay his feelings to Aveline. "No. I will speak with her later."

"Good. Just be your charming self." He nodded in agreement, chuckling good-naturedly as the lad grumbled something akin to a threat under his breath.

"You'll thank me later, lad."

* * *

Daylight passed into the midnight hours and each man had long abandoned their posts upon the Aquila for the comforts of long restful slumber. All except Faulkner, who was now regretting his wager against Connor. His first mistake was grudgingly accepting a night watch after the captain had insinuated that he was too old for the task and he desperately wished he would arrive and relieve him of his duties. However, no signs of the boy half an hour into his shift and Faulkner's nerves had grown taut with aggravation as he went to the captain's quarters, intent on giving him a proper tongue lashing. "Where's the bloody lout?"

He refrained from plowing straight into the room as a muffled feminine moan of delight reached his ears from beyond the oak doors. "Connor. Mmmm, ma chère. That feels so good. Oh!"

Faulkner's brows sailed upwards toward his hairline. This wasn't what he meant when he'd instructed Connor to speak with his lady friend.

"Mmmm, Aveline."

Although, neither one seemed to mind, if the noises reverberating through the wood were anything to go by. He removed the hand resting on the handle of the door, shaking his head fondly in mild amusement of the two as he retreated to his post, content to sacrifice the next hour or so on behalf of the captain's romantic life.

"That a boy, captain. Took ya long enough."


End file.
